Packaging machine



Jam 27, 1953 2,626,494

H. P. LEWIS PACKAGING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 15, 1950 59 lNVENT R v aaa-Cc( r4 ATTORNEYS Jail 27 i953 H. P. I Ewls PACKAGING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 15, 1950 INVENT R ed W ATToRNx-:Yj

2'/ LL /A/M `Falta. 27, 1953 H, P, LEWIS '2,626,494

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed April 13, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENT BY/J r @a ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. Z7, 1953 UNITED STATES ATT FFICE PAGKAGNG MACHHNE Harold P. Lewis, Newtown, Pa., assigner to Pak- Rapid, inc., a corporation of Pennsylvania 3 Claims.

This invention relates to packaging machines and is particularly useful for the packaging of articles known in this art as solid and granulated articles as distinguished from those of powdered form.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of a simple and inexpensive machine for expeditiously forming, filling and sealing packets or bags for solid articles.

Another object of my invention is the provision of simple driving mechanism for packaging machines for imparting step-by-step rotary movement to the crimping and sealing rolls of the machine.

A more specific object of my invention is the provision of simple and effective ratchet drive mechanism.

A further object resides in means enabling packets or lengths to be formed.

Still another object is the provision of a novel article receiving pocket arrangement for-med in part by the packaging material.

Other objects have to do with simplicity of construction whereby the machine may be manufactured at minimum cost.

I have illustrated my invention in preferred form in the accompanying drawings wherein- Fig. 1 is a front elevational view, partly in section, of a machine constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view on an enlarged scale looking toward the left in Fig. 1 and toward the right in Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational View;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a plan section taken `on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the parts in a different position; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 'I-'I of Fig. 6.

My improved packaging machine comprises in general a supporting frame S, reels carrying rolls of packaging material P such as paper, cellophane and the like, crimping and sealing rolls on dies R and R' and drive mechanism indicated as a whole by the reference letter D. The packaging material is led to the rolls R and R where the articles to be packaged are introduced, and the rolls as they rotate form and seal the package.

The supporting frame S is of welded plate construction and comprises a base plate Si, a main upright mounting plate 1, a second upright mounttl'le provision of bags of different I ing plate B positioned in parallel space relation to the main plate 'I by means of tie rods 9, web plates IG, IB welded to the main plate 'I and to the base plate 5 for stiffening purposes, and a horizontal bar I I for supporting the reels of packaging material P. As will be seen from Fig, 2 the horizontal bar I I is welded between an upper plate 'la and a lower' plate 1b so that the portion of the bar II between the plates 'Ia and 'ib and these plates constitute the main mounting plate I above referred to.

The crimping and sealing rolls R and R are carried by cross shafts I2 and I2 respectively, which are mounted in the mounting members i and 8, the roll R being a drive roll and the roll R being a driven roll. The shaft I2 of the drive roll R is journalled directly in the members 1 and 8 but the shaft I2 of the driven roll R is mounted in journals I3, I3 which are slidably mounted in slots I4, I4 in the mounting members l and 8. The driven roll R is spring urged into driving contact with the driving roll R by means of springs I5 secured at one end to lugs I6 carried by the journals I3 and at their other ends to pins I'I carried by the mounting members 'I and 8. It will be understood that a gear drive between rolls could be provided if desired, and that the rolls do not necessarily have the crimping serrations.

The crimping and sealing rolls R and R are of like construction and each comprises a pair of circular end plates or anges I8, a central hub I9 and four evenly spaced radially disposed web plates or cross seal members 2t. The end plates I8 are secured to the hub I9 as by means of screws 2l and the hub is provided with longitudinally extending grooves 22 for receiving the web plates 20. The web plates are detachably secured in place by means of screws 23 for purposes hereinafter appearing.`

The periphery oi each end plate I3 is crimped or serrated as indicated at 24, as are also the outer edge faces of the web plates 2) as indicated at 25. The serrations are preferably out in a milling machine after the rolls are assembled.

Intermittent or step-by-step rotary movement is imparted to the rolls R and R by the drive mechanism D comprising a drive wheel or sprocket 26 receiving drive from any suitable source of power, an arm 2l mounted for free reciproca-tory motion on the roll drive shaft I2, a link 26 connecting the arm 2l to the crank pin 29 of the drive wheel 25 for imparting reciprocatory motion to the arm from the rotating drive Wheel, a pawl 30 pivotally carried by the arm 21,

a ratchet wheel 3I secured to the drive shaft I2 and a spring 32 for maintaining ratchet engagement of the pawl and ratchet wheel. The drive wheel 26 is mounted on a flanged stud 33 secured to the frame member 'Ib as by means of screws 34.

It is pointed out that the throw of the crank pin 29 is such with respect to the point of connection of the link 28 to the arm 2'I that the ratchet wheel 3| is rotated one quarter of a revolution for each revolution of the drive wheel 26. The ratchet wheel is provided with four evenly spaced ratchet teeth 35 and therefore the rolls are rotated in successive steps of one quarter their circumference.

Referring particularly to Fig. 3, it is to be observed that the ratchet wheel 3l is so positioned on the shaft I2 that a pair of the cross seal members 20 will come into registry to make a cross seal at the end of the stroke of the pawl 39 and that the cross seal members will remain there in the back stroke of the pawl. When the pawl picks up the next tooth the rolls are again rotated and the next pair of cross seal members are brought into registry. Stated in another way, the drive mechanism D imparts intermittent rotary movement to the rolls so as to move the cross seal members to rest position successively at cross sealing positions.

Referring now to the feeding of the packaging material through the machine and to the forming of the package, it will be seen from inspection of Fig. l that the material is fed from the reels P inwardly and over a series of guide rolls 35, 31 and 38 and then downwardly between the crimping and sealing rolls R and R. As the material feeds downwardly between the rolls crimped side seals 39 are formed by the end plates IB of the rolls and crimped cross seals 43 are formed by the web plates 20. The grip of the rolls causes feed of the material through the machine. It is to be noted that the guide rolls 38-38 are spaced apart sufficiently so that the packaging material in passing from the guide rolls to the point between the sealing rolls lies in a plane at an angle of between 15 and 45 to the vertical.

Articles to be packaged are introduced into the wedge shaped pocket A located above the point where the cross seal is being made, i. e., at the region where the packaging material passes over guide rolls 38. The sides of this pocket are formed by the downwardly and inwardly inclining stretches 4I of the packaging material and the ends of the pocket are formed by the downwardly projecting plates 42 supported from the cross bars 43, 43 extending across the machine from the main supporting plate I to the supporting plate 8.

These plates 42 are of general triangular configuration and, as shown in Fig. 7, are spaced lapart a distance slightly less than the distance between the inner faces of the circular end plates I8 so that they lie near the edge of the packaging material, but are in from the edge sufciently to prevent articles being packaged from falling between the peripheries of the circular end plates I 8. The edges of the plates 42 lie substantially in the planes of the packaging material passing from the rolls 38 to the point of contact with sealing rolls. The articles t0 be packaged can be fed into the pocket A formed by the plates 42 and the packaging material either by well known automatic feed means or by hand, the feed of the articles being made when the cross seal members are in the rest position forming a cross seal.

In Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings I have shown formed packages F leaving the rolls and the rolls are shown in the position forming a cross seal which constitutes the top seal for the package just formed and the bottom seal for the next package to be formed. The edge or side seals 39 are formed at the same time.

In Fig. 6 I show the package that is being formed, filled with articles and in va further advanced position, and it will be seen that when the rolls have rotated to the position in which the approaching cross seal members 20a are horizontally disposed a cross seal will be formed to seal the top of the package. After the packages are completed, they are out from the strips at the line C-C indicated in Fig. 2, the cross seal 40 being wide enough to leave a top seal for the one package and a bottom seal for the other package.

In order to heat seal the packages, I provide suitable heating elements for heating the rolls illustrated as electric heating elements li-i fitting the holes 45 in the rolls. Electrical connection of the heating elements to a source of electric current is made by means of a pair of contact rings carried by the roll shafts and fixed ccntacts 4l supported from the frame of the machine as shown in Fig. 2,

The length of the package is determined by the diameter of the rolls and the number of cross seal members employed in the rolls and in the embodiment shown in the drawing, the length of the package is equal to one quarter of the circumference of the rolls. As mentioned above. the cross seal members 23 are detachably secured in place and therefore I am enabled to form bags of different lengths with the same rolls by removing certain of the cross seal members.

For example by removing the corresponding pairs of opposed cross members 29 of the rolls, packages twice the length of those illustrated will be formed. Similarly, if three corresponding cross members are removed from each roll, packages of four times the length of those illustrated will be formed. When making such longer packages, there will be feed cf the packaging material through the machine with each stroke of the ratchet drive but obviously cross seals will only be formed when the re. cross members of the rolls come into registry.

Iclaim':

l. A package forming and sealing machine comprising a supporting frame, a pair of sealing rolls rotatably carried by said frame, means for leading strips of packaging material to and between said rolls, said rolls each having a pair of circular end plates for forming edge seals for the packages being formed, a central hub member having a plurality of spaced axial grooves, radially disposed cross plates mounted in said grooves and extending from end plate to end plate to form cross seals for the packages being formed, means for detachably securing said cross plates in place, and means for imparting stepby-step rotary movement to said rolls to move said cross members to rest successiveiy at cross sealing positions.

2. A package forming and sealing machine comprising a supporting frame, a pair of sealingf rolls rotatably carried by said frame, means for maintaining said rolls in peripheral contact, means for leading strips of packaging material to and vbetween said rolls, said rolls each having axially spaced portions for forming edge seals for the packages being formed, a plurality of spaced radially disposed cross members located between said portions to form cross seals for said packages, means for detachably securing said cross members in place, and means for imparting step-by-step rotary movement to said rolls to move said cross members to rest successively at cross sealing positions.

3. In a package forming and sealing machine adapted for heat sealing of strips of packaging material, a pair of sealing rolls between which strips of material are fed and formed into packages, -said rolls having axially spaced circular surfaces for forming edge seals for the packages and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced cross members for forming cross seals for the packages, drive mechanism for the rolls including means for intermittently rotating the said rolls through arcs equal to the circumferential spacing of said cross members, and means for operating the drive mechanism so as to provide an appreciable interval of dwell of the rolls at each cross sealing position.

HAROLD P. LEWIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

